Wednesday, 28 June 2017

Few opportunities I have had to try all the beautiful food from Latin America. I mean, there are so many countries that it would be no possible for me to have tried everything from each country. So today I announce the granting of Denomination of Origin (DO ) to 'El bocadillo veleño'.

Back in 2012 the Association of producers Fedeveleños started to work towards this certification.The bocadillo veleño is a confectionery made of guava pulp, it is shaped in a small rectangular block, its consistency is firm and colour wise is reddish.they are wrapped in dry corn plant leaves. In Venezuela (my country) we also made similar confectionery but the Colombian one is in another league! I used to leave near the border with Colombia and this bocadillo was is my shopping list every time I crossed the border. I prefer to have it with a bit of white (fresh) cheese and sometime I put in in a blender with a glass of milk...Oh God! I was in heaven. [someone bring me some, pretty please]

The geographical link is established within the town of Vélez, Santander. This is the second DO granted in the region (the first one was Cafe Santarder) [another one in my list].

A ceremony is taking place this coming 30 June 2017 where the certificate will be granted.

More information here at the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC).

Tuesday, 6 June 2017

This is some news that we got in here today: the Peruvian National Institute for the Defence of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI) has announced that it is considering cancelling authorizations for the use of ‘Pisco’ Denomination of Origin (DO) and even initiating infringement procedures against ‘certified’ producers who participate in the contest "Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles" (Brussels Competition), taken place La Serena, Chile from 22 to 24 August 2017.

What is this about? The Peruvian ‘pisco’ will not be able to participate in this prestigious competence which rewards the best spirits in the world, unless their name is changed to ‘Peruvian Grape distillate’. INDECOPI rhetorically noted that not calling ‘pisco’ for its DO will denigrate the prestige and commercial value of the product.
Brussels competition changes annually, and this year taken effect in Chile, the authorities requested to change the rules so that the Peruvian producers of ‘pisco’ cannot participate in the category of pisco but can participate in the category of ‘Peruvian grape distillate’. This decision denies the possibility of Peruvain ‘pisco’ participating in the category that corresponds to it and so, denying the use of its DO.

INDECOPI’s measure: it noted that by the Peruvian producers of pisco that by not been able to use theirs DO it will “weaken the defence of exclusivity over [their] denomination of origin and all the efforts that are channeled for the protection and promotion at the international level” therefore it considers that the most reasonable measure will be not to participate in this contest.
While the measure appears to be well intended and advisory, it also warned that if pisco producers participate in the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, INDECOPI may cancel the authorizations of use of DO to such producers. The measure comes after INDECOPI noticed that if they do so, it will “affect the prestige and commercial value” of Peruvian Pisco. This is so because it will “cause uncertainty regarding the quality of the product” since it will not need to have gone through the controls required for ‘pisco’ DO and all the restrictions of its regulation.

Finally it remarked that if Peruvian products were to obtain medals in the competition they could not display it in the Peruvian market, since these would not have been won in the 'pisco' category. If they do so, it would deceive consumers.

Why the change of rules in the competition? The battle over this term is not something new. Chilean Pisco vs Peruvian Pisco. As the competition is taking place in Chile one can guess that under the ‘pisco’ category only those product produced in accordance with the Chilean regulation will be considered.This has been ratified by the organizers explaining that "Chilean and Peruvian legislation does not recognize the “Pisco” denomination in the other country." Therefore Peruvian pisco to go through customs, it must be labelled as “grape spirit”.

Internationally for instance the EU recognizes Chilean Pisco and Peruvian Pisco as DOs. Yet, when the EU registered Peruvian pisco as a DO it acknowledged a previous trade agreement between Chile and the EU in which Pisco was recognized as a DO from Chile. The note clarifies that the protection granted to "Pisco" as a DO to Peru does not hinder the use of that name for products originating in Chile. Malasia recognizes Pisco as a DO from Peru as well as Costa Rica; Chile and Nicaragua recognizes Pisco as a DO from Chile.

Monday, 5 June 2017

The Peruvian Intellectual Property Office (INDECOPI) announced that the Council of Ministers’ President approved the new Regulation of the National Registry of Copyright, including a ‘virtual’ system of registration of copyright and related rights. The new Regulation allows user to apply for registration 24 hours a day.

This new electronic system ‘unifies, simplifies and rationalizes the requirements to be asked of citizens, as it is part of the rules of simplification and rationalization of the administrative procedures’. INDECOPI gives some examples: the system of notifications will be done through an electronic platform which requires the applicant to submit their e-mail which will be used for communications and so, speeding the process.

It is noted that one of the aims brought by this decree (No. 053-2017-PCM) is to incentive people to register their ‘intellectual, artistic, technical and scientific works.’

In the same vein, INDECOPI remembers the public that there is a free advisory platform specialized in copyright which is led by experts from the Copyright Office.